Going to the Show
Have you ever seen Bull Durham? If not, watch this clip:
Over the past eleven years I have worked with many great people on many great projects. While there has been plenty for those teams to be proud of, I have never worked on a hit. I have never worked on a game with a marketing budget to speak of. I have never worked on a game with a 90+ Metacritic rating. I have never worked somewhere that could really afford to push a game back just to make sure it was right before it came out. In other words, I have never been to The Majors.
Well that is all about to change: tomorrow is my first day at Valve Software as a programmer on Team Fortress 2.
I am excited to be going to Valve for many reasons. I love their games. I am hugely impressed by their consistently high level of quality. I am excited to work with a whole new pile of very smart people. I am excited to learn how their freaky “we don’t have managers, or pure designers, or even job descriptions, really” development process works. I love their dedication to playtesting and really taking playtest feedback to heart. This is a big opportunity to learn from people who have built some of the best games out there.
My career is about to take a big step forward. I am excited, nervous, and more than a little intimidated. I feel like I’m finally going to the show.